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Red Sox name Victor Rodriguez assistant hitting coach

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today named Victor Rodriguez as the club’s Major League assistant hitting coach. Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington and Manager John Farrell made the announcement.

The 2013 season will mark Rodriguez’s 19th in the Red Sox organization and will be his first year on the Major League staff.

The 51-year-old Rodriguez has spent the last six seasons from 2007-12 as Boston’s minor league hitting coordinator, a position he also held in 2002. For three seasons from 2004-06, he was the club’s Latin field coordinator after serving as a minor league hitting instructor in 2003.

Rodriguez previously served six seasons as a hitting coach in the Red Sox system at High-A Sarasota (1996-98), Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox (1999, 2001) and Single-A Augusta (2000). He began his coaching career in the Boston organization in 1995 after playing in 31 games with Triple-A Pawtucket.

Born in New York City, Rodriguez was signed by Baltimore in 1977 at the age of 15 out of Naguabo High School in Puerto Rico. He played for parts of 19 professional seasons in the Orioles (1977-84), Padres (1985), Cardinals (1986-87), Twins (1988-91), Phillies (1992-93), Marlins (1994) and Red Sox (1995) organizations, including 17 Major League games over stints with Baltimore (1984) and Minnesota (1989) over which he hit .429 (12-for-28). In 1,759 minor league games, Rodriguez hit at a .295 clip (1,905-for-6,468) with 102 home runs and 774 RBI. He received the Clyde Kluttz Orioles Organization Player of the Year Award in 1981.

Rodriguez’s son Victor, Jr. is currently a scout for the Red Sox, and his son Miguel is a catcher in the Boston system after being drafted by the club in 2012.